All Soldiers Bleed The Same
by xXx.-QuantumMeganics-.xXx
Summary: AU(Sort of):Cocoon and Pulse fall into war. Lightning is sent on a mission to decrease the conflict but will her effort be in vain? Rated M for language and themes. Eventual FLight
1. Chapter 1

B/N: Hello to whoever may be reading this. I'd just like to say that this is my first time writing a game fanfiction, there could be some casual OoC. I must say when I picked up FFXIII earlier this year, I had no idea I was going to enjoy it as much as I have. There will be FLight in later chapters and it will probably get smutty ;) What can I say?

For the purpose of this story I have given Fang a rank for it to make sense and flow a little easier. Enjoy.

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Chapter 1

The sun hung low in the Bodhum sky, glazing every surface it touched with a dull orange glow. Lightning stood staring out of the window of her family home at the clouds that passed overhead. There was a brisk chill beginning to descend with night fall. She gently leaned herself against the window sill, letting her fingers feel the chipped and cracked paint. She hung her head and sighed before looking back out the window. Her cerulean eyes stared back at her as she mulled over her thoughts.

"_This is going to be tough."_

"Claire!" Her younger sister broke what was left of her scattered thoughts. The door gently closed with a bang and Lightning heard hurried footsteps approaching.

Serah Farron: a young, rose color haired, middle school teacher and Lightning's only family.

"I can't believe you are home early! Did the Corps let you off because of your birthday?! That's so nice of them."

Serah placed a neatly wrapped present on the dining table. "Snow helped me pick it out, I hope you like it!"

"_Well shit…_" Lightning had forgotten all about her birthday.

Serah frowned, noticing her sister's lack of reaction.

"Claire? Is everything okay?" Serah took some slow steps towards her troubled sister.

"Serah, you might want to take a seat." Lightning gestured to the table and chairs.

"What is going on Claire? You're not pregnant are you?" Lightning let out a snort of laughter.

"No Serah. Don't be absurd. It's about work."

Lightning had joined the Guardian Corps when she was quite young. The tragic death of her parents pushed her to be protective of what was left of her family and as she grew older, the protection of society. Rising quickly through the ranks she had reached Sergeant before today, her Twenty First birthday.

Guardian Corps had grown and changed since Lightning had first joined. Guardian Corps, the Cavalry and Psicom collaborated when poor political decisions and the deaths of innocents caused war to break out between the already fragile Cocoon and Pulse.

Serah waited for her sister to continue. The younger sister had always detested Lightning joining the Guardian Corps. There were often sleepless nights worrying about what might happen to her sister whenever she was away from home.

"I am being sent to Pulse tomorrow." Lightning tried hard to avoid her sister's eyes.

"No. You can't go Claire. You of all people should know how dangerous it is there." There was already pain in her voice.

"It's not a question of can or can't. I've been given orders." There was a brief silence before Lightning continued, her eyes now fixed on Serah.

"There has been an escalating threat on Pulse. A threat that if not brought under control will mean the death of many more civilians here in Cocoon."

All Serah could do was shake her head. Tears began to fall as Serah lost control of her emotions.

"And what about you? You can't leave me Claire! You can't. You know what happens to soldiers that are sent there… They don't come home!" Serah stood and walked towards Lightning, grabbing her in a tight embrace.

Her younger sister's sobs reverberated through her chest.

"Serah I promise you, I will come home. You will see me again." Lightning steeled her voice so her own emotions could not show through.

"Do you mean it?" Serah created some distance between them.

All Lightning could do was nod and showed a small smile while her inner monologue chugged away.

"_Worst birthday ever._"

* * *

**0200 hours, Gran Pulse – 500 miles North from Yaschas Massif**

A young male's voice crackled through the tall brunette's ear piece.

"Major! We have a Cocoon air ship off the Western horizon. Proceed with instruction."

"Damn Cocoonians. Ya'd think after all the soldiers they have lost they would have come up with a better tactical strategy or at least stop trying. Especially with all that technology they have." Major Oerba Yun Fang stood in the dimly lit temporary posting unit.

A hive of activity began whirled into action around her as she moved towards the radar communications section.

"Soldier, do you confirm one air ship?" Fang was not sure if it was a faulty reading or not. She slapped the monitor with the palm of her hand. The Private at the control panel winced.

"Yes Ma'am. Scouts confirmed just one air ship, Ma'am. They say its medium sized and looks as if it's ready to land."

Fang flipped it through her mind. "_Probably just a Recon unit..." _

"So Cocoon wants to play huh?" Fang smirked.

"Let them land. Arrange Alpha team and Beta back up, silent and stealthy is the play here. I want updates as soon as something happens. Even if someone sneezes I want to know about it. Game on."

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Short and sweet. Please review and let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

B/N: Hey all, just some more of a lead in chapter because why not?

Just want to say that these geographical miles are not actually supposed to be represented as accurate. I am just going with it.

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Chapter 2

**02:00 Aboard Patrol Ship Delta – 200m above Gran Pulse**

"Alright, we will be breaking up into two teams of fifty when we land. Sergeant Farron will be leading Zulu and I will be leading Omega. Zulu rendezvous point will be one hundred miles North of Yaschas Massif on the cliff side facing the city of Paddra. I cannot stress enough how important this vantage point will be if situations deteriorate further as it is the only entry and exit point to Paddra.

However this means it will be most likely under heavy guard. At this point we are just looking to set up defensive lines, don't go being heroes. Omega will go a separate route and we will end up on the Eastern cliff side overlooking Paddra as a whole. There is to be radio silence except for hourly check-ins, if you fail to meet the check in we will assume you have been lost and vice versa. Help will not be sent for you. Any questions?"

The commanding officer finished his brief and there was silence.

Lightning eyed her superior, analyzing him to spot weakness. He was a fresh face to Lightning which made her feel uneasy. The man stood towering over most of the recruits; his untidy brown hair matched his eyes. Lightning knew he was a former Psicom intelligence agent that had shown some form of leadership potential.

They had been introduced to him quickly before leaving Cocoon and he only gave her only his title: Commander. The blatant attempt at an ego stroke left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Lightning had discovered this was his first time seeing true combat. No matter how many training exercises you take, no matter how many briefings you are given, nothing will prepare you for that first time. However because this newly appointed Commander was keen to prove himself, the Corps had handed him the mission.

"Okay everybody, strap in we are about to land. Adjust your armor to reflect low visibility and remember your night vision. Good luck."

Lightning strapped herself into her seat and thought about the day ahead. Her team consisted of hardened soldiers, ranging through the three divisions of Guardian Corps and included five medics. The first twelve hours were crucial. Get to the rendezvous point and set defensive lines. After the completion of those two tasks, they would call in their success and more troops would be sent to strengthen the defense and move to offense. Lightning knew it was not going to be a walk in the park.

Intel had informed the Delta ship prior to arrival that they would be landing near a known Pulse military post but due to the lack of reliable technology and harsh geography they hoped the radar would not pick up their signal. With the amount of troops that had already been lost on various places on Pulse there was a growing feeling that they would not be so lucky.

"No cape, hey Farron." One of the medics piped up, trying to loosen the strengthening tension. Soldiers around them let out a small murmur of laughter.

"I'd prefer not to stick out like a sore thumb. Not today." Lightning tried to be light-hearted. She was dressed in her standard GC attire minus one red cape.

There was a small amount of turbulence as they came into land. The air ship vibrated as they grabbed their equipment and rushed to move out down the descended ramp. Each team went down their allocated side, Zulu to the left and Omega to the right. Lightning gave a small nod to their commanding officer before stepping out onto Pulse.

The heat and humidity hit like a ton of bricks. The air hung close like a heavy blanket and it was extremely hard to breathe.

"Holy shit. You have got to be kidding." Lightning choked out. Sweat had already started to gather on her forehead as she led her troops to the left and into the immediate cover of trees.

"Welcome to Pulse, such a nice pleasant welcome." Lightning heard one of the grunts chuckle, though it was nothing to joke about. If it was this humid and hot at night, what was day going to be like?

The thick trees that surrounded them provided a good cover, though Lightning knew they had to move fast. The sun rose early on Pulse and they would be easier to spot, though that was not the only reason.

The engines of the air ship cut through the brief silence with a deafening roar. It was unlikely that they had gone undetected no matter what the Commander had said.

The crunching of leaf litter filled the air as their unit moved through the bush. Cursing was frequent as vines snapped, bugs bit and uncoordinated legs failed on the unfamiliar terrain. Though her team had stragglers and the steep incline was tiring, their movement was steady and that was what counted the most.

The clock was ticking.

* * *

**03:30 20miles from Delta Airship drop off zone**

The thrill of the silent stalk was the best part of being a hunter.

Gran Pulse was derived from survival of the fittest, the harsh uncaring landscape and the wild beasts that roamed it made the people strong. From when children could first walk, survival techniques were drilled into them. What you could eat, what you couldn't eat, what could cure ailments and what could cause them were the first things that were taught by their individual communities. Even in the political capital of Paddra, these skills were essential to the survival of man on Pulse.

When you came of age you were taught how to hunt. What weapons to use, how to use them, how camouflage would suit each situation and what prey could easily kill you. After that you were sent out by yourself and if you returned successfully with a kill you were given your hunters mark. The mark was a tattoo that descended through your original clan; you became another part of their living legacy and it was something to show with pride.

Alpha and Beta were stalking a different kind of prey this morning.

The two teams had heard Fang's orders early and had scrambled to the drop zone. They were outnumbered but due to the unskilled Cocoon soldiers, the hunters had the upper hand.

Using their knowledge, Alpha had quickly caught up to Lightning's team and was amused by the futile attempt to use the land to their advantage.

Keeping to the Major's instruction they kept in the shadow of darkness but never too far behind the group. It was interesting to watch the naïve troops try to find their bearings. The troops would often look towards the team of Pulse hunters but hadn't noticed them through the gaps in the trees. Their own technology was failing them.

Morning was quickly approaching and Alpha was waiting on an important decision from Fang. In order to remain a stealth unit, Alpha either had to stop following the recon unit and resume the stalk when the sun next set or deal with the recon unit now while they had the chance. Both choices had their own advantages and disadvantages.

Letting the Recon unit continue would allow Fang to determine where the unit was headed so she could alert other posts to send troops to that point. However, there was a large chance that Alpha could lose track of the recon unit and all of the effort put into the stalk would be for nothing.

Taking care of the Recon unit now would be the easier choice, quick and clean in the dead of night. However there was the chance that Cocoon would just send another unit up, like they had done before.

"How many soldiers are in the Recon unit, Lead Sergeant?" Fang knew she was running out of time.

"There looks to be around fifty, we've been trying to keep count. We do know that there is a clear leader of the unit though, she seems quite strong. Major, there is another problem; we are going to be running out of cover soon."

Fang was not feeling confident.

"Beta, what is your status on the second Recon unit?"

"We are close behind them; they are making really slow progress Ma'am. There is quite a few of them and they are being led by a tall fellow. He stands out from the rest but he is keeping his crew tight."

"Alpha if you commence the offensive, do you think your team will be able to eliminate them?"

"Yes Ma'am. We will take them out one by one."

Fang's mind was made up. Alpha would take down the first Recon group while Beta would continue to stalk the second Recon group to their intended location. If one of her teams fail, then she would still have a back up to go with.

"Alright Alpha, assume offensive line and do what you have to do. Also, bring the leader back to me. I want her unharmed and alive. She could be important to us, do you understand?"

"Roger that, Ma'am. Over and out."

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A/N: And that is the end of that chapter, feel free to drop a review and don't be afraid to criticize. Your enjoyment is my enjoyment.


	3. Chapter 3

B/N: Hello again, apologies for my hiatus. I hadn't forgotten about this story and finally got a chance to complete another chapter. Enjoy :)

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Chapter 3

**04:15 23 miles from Delta Airship drop off zone**

There was only the sound of trudging feet when a fierce static broke through every soldier's ear piece.

"Ouch, fuck." Lightning hissed as she grabbed violently at the side of her head.

"_One hour has passed since recorded arrival on Pulse. Please activate your check in signal." _The automated woman repeated her message three times before there was again silence.

Lightning pressed the small illuminated button located just at the end of her ear piece. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips as the button flashed once before darkening.

She knew that in past missions there was almost always immediate contact with Pulse natives. Perhaps this time with their better tactics it would be different. For Sarah's sake she hoped so. After all that they had been through together growing up Lightning was not going to leave her sister as the last of her family.

The visibility had gotten better since their arrival on Pulse; Lightning could make out the shadowy figures of her team and the jagged outline of their path ahead. Though inexperienced in the treacherous terrain, the division was moving quite quickly. With the better conditions, Lightning was able to place landmarks on the map. Feelings of uncertainty had faded though not forgotten.

Lightning gave a quick signal into the air with her hand. This signal was repeated by fellow soldiers until the message had been received at the bottom. The team resumed trudging their way up hill. The mud was sticky and sucking at the bottom of her boots. A thick sweat was trickling its way down Lightning's neck when an incoming message made her blood run cold.

"_Omega checks in fifty out of fifty personnel remaining. Zulu checks in thirty three out of fifty personnel remaining."_

"What the fuck?" Lightning spun quickly on her heel to assess her troops. Upon first glance, it seemed nothing was a miss. Due to the narrow pathways they had been climbing the troops were evenly spread and everything seemed as it should.

"Ma'am! I think this tree jus-" A young Private was shouting trying to get their attention but it was too late. A spear whizzed through the air and slammed firmly through the Corporal's head, making a hole where his nose and mouth should have been. A hushed gurgling travelled through the air as whatever breath he had left escaped him.

"Get away from him now!" Lightning cast Fira into the dense forest setting it alight as her troops retreated quickly from their fallen member. Others followed suit and begun setting ablaze to the forestry behind them trying to protect what was left of their team.

Lightning pushed her way forward putting herself in a defensive position a few meters before the fire.

"Leave me, you have to go! You have to make it to the rendezvous point. We cannot fail!" Lightning shouted, unsheathing her gunblade.

The soldiers heeded their instruction and began a swift ascent up the trail but a few remained behind.

"You can't take them by yourself! We are not going to leave you." A short woman stepped towards her.

"Yeah, there is no way we are leaving you behind." The four others joined in formation behind Lightning.

The Pulse natives stepped through the flames, armed and ready. Strong and experienced, the fire licking at their heels did nothing to deter them. Lightning was vastly outnumbered but stood strong. Two of the Psicom operatives were trying to quickly cast buffs on their team but they were not quick enough.

The first strike came at Lightning; it was a weak blow to try to get her unsteady on her feet. Lightning did not falter and hit back with aero, whipping the flames up furiously.

The lone medic received a barrage of attacks and his protection not lasting long. He was struck through the stomach and several attacks pierced through his chest. Copious amounts of blood spurted out of his wounds as he fell onto ground with a dull thud.

"_Damn."_

Lightning tried to divert attention away from him but it was useless. Her attacks did nothing to stop the offensive line of Native forces that were moving forward. Without the full force of her unit her troops were slaughtered one by one.

The intense heat and physical exhaustion brought Lightning to her knees. Blood from a gash across her head dripped down her furrowed brow and onto her cheeks. Her head was pounding and the mud felt like glue as she watched the Pulsians surround her; she dropped her blade. Two men stepped forward and Lightning took her final chance. She launched herself forward and up unsure if her unstable legs would hold her. Throwing herself at the man closest to her, she did the first thing that came to mind. Her fist came up in the form of an uppercut snapping the Pulsian's neck back. Merely disorientated the man tried to force her off him. Lightning threw several more punches but it was hopeless.

Lightning was beaten unmercifully, each sharp blow causing her to cry out in pain. The last thing she remembered was a spear being driven into her chest.

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A/N: Thank you all for reading. It's a short one and a quick one. I hope you all have a very happy holidays :D


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